Air traffic control towers at small airports across the United States, including Ramona Airport and Brown Field in Otay Mesa, will keep operating Tuesday regardless of Washington D.C.’s budget showdown, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

But how long they stay open is anyone’s guess.

Federal budget stalemates this spring and fall have threatened to close 149 contractor-run towers, which serve as eyes in the sky for commercial and recreational aircraft. Towers at busy metro airports, such as in downtown San Diego or Los Angeles, are not slated to shutdown.

Funding for the smaller airport towers was jeopardized by the forced federal budget cuts known as sequestration, but then extended this spring through yesterday. It wasn’t clear what money the FAA would use to keep operating this week or beyond.

During a federal shutdown, air traffic control is considered an “excepted" activity, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s contingency plan.

An FAA official confirmed that contract towers are among the excepted facilities. He declined to provide any further details.

What the future holds for the towers remains a huge question for many. Elected leaders from the city and county of San Diego have called on the FAA to keep the towers open.

The potential shuttering at Ramona has county officials especially concerned. The Ramona Airport includes a state and federal air firefighting base, which is aided by the traffic control tower during emergencies.

“With the most dangerous stretch of the wildfire season bearing down on us, it’s simply unacceptable that Washington, D.C., would allow the closure of a facility that is central to our aerial firefighting efforts and public safety,” San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob said in a statement on Monday.

Last spring, several local pilots and airport officials said that while they would prefer the tower stay open, the structure wasn’t essential to safety in Ramona.

In a phone interview last week, Jacob rejected that idea. Jacob said federal officials would be wise to remember the tragic crash that spurred the Ramona tower’s construction.

In 1995, three people were killed after two U.S. Forest Service firefighting aircraft collided over Ramona as they were landing. The county agreed to pay $1.4 million to build a tower at the airport, while the federal government agreed to pay for staffing.

“That was the deal that was made. And now the feds want to break their promise,” said Jacob, who represents East County’s fire-scarred backcountry. “The federal government needs to step up to the plate and put public safety first and figure out the budget second.”

The federal government pays $540,000 annually to operate the Ramona tower and approximately $500,000 per year to operate the Brown Field tower, county and city officials said.

On Monday, the FAA referred a reporter to it's most recent public statement on the budget stalemate, from last week:

"Safety is our top priority. The FAA continues to support President Obama’s FY2014 budget, and strongly believes that Congress still has time to act and a lapse in appropriations should not occur. In the event of a lapse in funding, the FAA has prepared a contingency plan in which air traffic controllers, some safety inspectors and other essential employees will continue working in order to maintain the safety of the national airspace system."